Object-Oriented Programming with Visual Basic .NET

Chapter 1. Introduction

To understand the world of object-oriented programming, look at the world around you for a moment. You might see vacuum cleaners, coffee makers, ceiling fans, and a host of other objects. Everywhere you look, objects surround you.

Some of these objects, such as cameras, operate independently. Some, such as telephones and answering machines, interact with one another. Some objects contain data that persists between uses, like the address book in a cell phone. Some objects contain other objects, like an icemaker inside of the freezer.

Many objects are similar in function but different in purpose. Bathtubs and kitchen sinks, for example, both provide water and are used for cleaning. But it is a rare occasion when you will take a bath in the kitchen sink or wash your dishes in the tub. However, the bathtub and the kitchen sink in your house probably share the same plumbing. Certainly, they share a common interface: hot and cold water knobs, a faucet, and a drain.

When you think about it, what is the difference between a sink and a bathtub? The location? The size of the basin? Their heights off the ground? How many more similarities are there than differences?

Sometimes the same action causes an object to do different things depending on the context of the situation. When you press Play on the remote, the DVD might play a movie on the television. But if a CD is in the player, it plays music out of the speakers. Same button, same action—different results. ...